Son of None
by abelina.beaumont
Summary: The birth of the Dark Princess changes the lives of millions.  Rated M for later chapters.
1. Birth is Never Easy

Chapter 1: Birth is Never Easy

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><p>The young woman writhed on the small bed, groaning in pain. Her husband stood near, pacing nervously and stealing glances at the door. The Healer mixed a potion as quickly as he could in the corner. This child was coming very quickly, and he could already tell it wouldn't be an easy birth.<p>

Finishing the potion, he poured it into a goblet, running to the woman and tipping the liquid into her mouth. With a final shriek of agony, the woman lost consciousness. The Healer worked fast, making a clean incision in the woman's abdomen and clearing the blood that flowed from the cut. The child inside the womb, to his eye, was unusually large. Cautiously, he made a vertical incision and levitated the child out. A boy. The duke would be pleased. But wait, there was another child! A tiny little girl, who had hidden behind her brother in the womb for the past 9 months.

He took both crying children in his arms, and with a quick _Scourgify!, _they were cleaned and handed off to his assistant to be checked for abnormalities. He closed the woman's incisions and rubbed a paste onto them, ensuring they wouldn't get infected. He sighed, turning to the duke, who was sitting by his wife's bedside, holding her limp hand.

"Sir?" he asked, not wanting to disturb the man.

"Yes, Phillip?" the old duke asked, not taking his eyes off of his wife.

"Did you know that there was more than one child? Before, I mean."

"No." the man sighed. "I didn't."

"Do you know what you want to do?"

"No, Phillip, I don't. Ambrosia will want the boy. Of that I'm certain."

"And what of the girl?"

The man took a deep breath and looked at his wife's sleeping body.

"Take her away."

The Healer blinked in surprise, certain that he was hearing things.

"Sir?"

"You heard me, Phillip. Take her away."

"But…but sir"

"Phillip, listen," the duke said, lowering his voice. "The boy has already been announced to He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. We can't save him. But no one knows of the girl except for you and me and your assistant. She can be safe. Take her away, and Obliviate your assistant and myself. Take her out of the Wizarding World."

The Healer swallowed and nodded. "Yes, sir."

The Healer ordered his assistant to take the boy to his nanny and took the girl in his arms. He wrapped her tightly in a blanket with a soft lining, placed her in a basket, and Apparated away.

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><p>Please review!<p> 


	2. Tall Dark and Handsome Stranger

Chapter 2: Tall, Dark, and Handsome Stranger

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><p>"Mum!" the 17-year-old shouted down the stairs. "Have you seen my school skirt? I can't find it anywhere!"<p>

Jane rolled her eyes at her daughter. "It's in the laundry, sweetheart. You put it there last night, remember?"

"Oh, right!" the girl laughed, skipping down the stairs. "I forgot. Thanks, Mum."

Hermione kissed her mother's cheek and went to the laundry room. Her mother, elbow deep in dishwater, just laughed at the girl.

"What time do you have to be at the station?" she asked as her daughter rooted through the pile of clean clothes.

"In about," she checked the clock. "An hour. But I'm almost packed, I promise."

"Is someone picking you up?"

"No, Mum. I'm going to Apparate to the Burrow, then Ginny and I will Floo to King's Cross."

"Are you sure you have everything?"

"Yes, Mum, I'm sure. And anything I do need I can get in Hogsmeade. Since I made Head Girl this year, Dumbledore permitted me a pass to Hogsmeade whenever I needed, provided I keep my grades up."

"Well," Jane grinned. "That's never been a problem with you."

"Thank Merlin for that. Aha! Found it." She exclaimed, holding up her grey school skirt and Gryffindor tie.

"So how can I contact you?"

"My friend Luna has gotten an owl for her birthday from her aunt, but she can't take care of it, so she's going to lend it to you until summer holidays. Does that sound all right?"

"Sure. So I just give the owl a letter and tell it where to go?"

"Yeah, just be sure to write my name on the envelope, so it gets to me. Sweet Merlin, Morgana, get off of the refridgerator!" Hermione yelled at her mother's new kitten. Crookshanks had passed on over the summer, so to relieve her grief Jane had adopted a kitten from the animal shelter.

Jane laughed at her daughter. "It's fine, sweetheart, she's just playing. She's not going to hurt anything. She'll be fine. And don't you have to go?"

"Merlin's lacy knickers, you're right!" Hermione ran up the stairs and into her room quickly. She wouldn't have time to meet with Ginny, so she typed a quick text on her mobile phone and sent it. She packed up her belongings into her trunk and shrunk it, placing it inside of the purse her grandmother had sent her for her birthday.

Running back downstairs to grab her sweater, she kissed her mother's cheek goodbye and Apparated away.

The station was busy, but Hermione didn't notice as she rushed through the crowd. She had only minutes to get to the platform, get her things loaded, get on the train, and get to the Heads' compartment.

Hermione ran through the brick entrance to Platform 9¾ and looked around quickly. Parents were hugging their children, students were rushing to get on the train, as she was. Slowly down to a brisk walk, she headed towards the train.

Suddenly, she smacked into something hard. Looking up, she saw a tall, dark, handsome young man with a light blue button up shirt and faded jeans. She immediately starting apologizing, not realizing that the boy was staring intently at her. When she realized this, she discreetly touched her face, checking to see if there was anything on it.

"I'm so sorry, again. I'm Hermione," she said, holding out her hand.

"I am Adalfieri," he said in a heavy Italian accent, taking her hand and kissing it gently. "But you can call me Yeri."

"Oh," Hermione giggled, speechless. "Well, are you going to Hogwarts?"

"Yes, I am a transfer student from the Italian School of Sorcery."

"What year will you be?" Hermione asked as they walked together.

"I will be a seventh year."

"Me, too!" Hermione exclaimed, shouldering her oversized purse again.

The boy smiled at her and they walked in silence to the train. She jumped on the train, saying goodbye to Yeri as he left to find a compartment and going in the opposite direction to the Heads' compartment.

She slid the door shut and breathed a sigh of relief. She was on the train, and she would be going to Hogwarts without a problem. She looked down and noticed that she was still in her Muggle clothes. Since she was alone, she decided to go ahead and change into her Hogwart's uniform. She slipped off her jeans, and pulled on the mid-thigh grey plaid skirt. She took off her sweater and t-shirt, and reached for her white button down Gryffindor shirt. As soon as she grabbed it, the door slid open with a bang.

A blonde boy and a couple of his friends were laughing and didn't notice Hermione until her shriek reached their ears. The boy turned around and, wonder of all wonders, Draco Malfoy was standing in the doorway, staring at a half-dressed Hermione.

"Get out!" she screamed, clutching the shirt to herself.

Malfoy fumbled with the door and quickly let himself out. Hermione pulled on her button up with lightning speed and got dressed as quickly as she could. She pinned on her new Head Girl badge and conjured a mirror.

She had grown about an inch and filled out over the summer. The skirt she was wearing seemed like it was a lot shorter than she remembered, and her tucked-in dress shirt was much more fitted to her slim figure. Her hair, no longer bushy, fell in long brown ringlets down to the small of her back, and her tanned skin emphasized her big chocolate-brown eyes.

Her tie was straight and neat, her grey socks came up to her knee and her new school shoes, a pair of simple black Mary Jane style heels completed her uniform. She grabbed her chapstick and applied some carefully. She fluffed her curls a little, made the mirror disappear, and walked out of the compartment to start her rounds.

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><p>Please please please please please please review! and...oh yeah...review! I want to know what you think and what your opinion of all this is, otherwise I'll stop writing it!<p> 


	3. Well That Was Shocking

**know-it-all - **haha ok :) is this soon enough? ps sorry i didn't reply to your CH1 review, it just didn't occur to me to do this before :D

**cosmoGirl666 - **:)

Chapter 3: Well...That was Shocking

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><p>Hermione slid open the doors to different compartments, introducing herself to new students and giving returning students a warm welcome back. She found a few Slytherin third years bullying a first year, and sent them to McGonagall with a firm grabbing of the collar. Coming to the last corridor, she breathed softly, sliding the door open.<p>

Harry and Ron were avidly discussing a Quidditch match they had seen over the summer. Ginny was reading a romance novel, from the looks of the cover, in her boyfriend's lap. Luna was staring out the window, twirling her golden hair around her fingers and whispering to herself. Neville was pouring through this year's Herbology textbook. Seamus and Dean were playing Wizard's Chess in the corner, and Lavendar seemed to have glued herself to Ron's side.

"Hello, everyone!" Hermione said warmly, walking in and sliding the door shut.

"Hello, Mione!" Luna said in her dreamy voice, not looking away from the window.

The rest of the compartment was speechless, but the looks on their faces gave their thoughts away. The boys' jaws were dropped so low in shock they nearly hit the ground. Ginny was astonished at her best friend's transformation, yet happy for her all the same. Lavendar was a different story. She was fuming.

"What happened to you, Hermione?"Lavendar sniped, a very Malfoy-like sneer on her round face.

"I just grew up, I guess," she smiled, taking a seat next to Dean.

"I'll say!" Ginny exclaimed. "You look great, Hermione."

Hermione blushed. "Thanks."

Harry blinked and snapped out of his shock. "Yeah, Hermione. You look nice."

"Thanks, Harry. You look nice, too." Hermione laughed. "So, how was this summer? I know I didn't get to see you guys much."

"It was great," Ginny smiled. "I got a job at the boutique in Hogsmeade."

"That's fantastic, Gin!"

"Thanks," Ginny grinned, putting her hand lightly on Harry's knee. "I needed something to do on weekends when he's playing Quidditch, since I quit the team this year."

"Me and Dean got jobs, too," Seamus said in his thick Scottish brogue. "At the twins' shop. Dumbledore got us weekend passes to go to Diagon Alley for the school year."

"How lovely," Hermione smiled. "What about you, Ron?"

"I, um," he stuttered. "I played Quidditch most of the summer."

"Yeah, and he stayed at mine for a month in July," Lavendar squeaked, grabbing his arm possessively.

"Oh, that sounds like fun," Hermione smiled. "My mother and I went to see New York in America for a few weeks."

"Why would you do that?" Lavendar said.

"My mother has some old friends from her home country that live there."

"Home country? Is she a pilgrim or something?"

Hermione laughed. "No, she moved to England when she got accepted to university and just stayed here when she married my father."

"Oh, so you ARE a legitimate child, I could've sworn otherwise."

"Shut up, Lavendar," Ginny rolled her eyes. "No one wants to hear your mousey voice squeak things you think are insulting. Just stop."

"Ooh," Hermione smirked. "Kitty got claws."

Ginny made a kitty claw hand, "Meow."

The compartment laughed. At that moment, the door slid open with a dull thud.

"Granger," Malfoy poked his head inside, smirking. "Shame, you're wearing clothes. Anyway, McGonagall wants to speak with you."

"Whatever, Malfoy. I'll be there in a minute."

"She said it was urgent."

"Ugh, fine," Hermione huffed. "I'll see you later, guys."

"Bye, Hermione!" "Bye, Mia!" "What the hell did he mean you're wearing clothes?"

Hermione heard a laugh come from the compartment as she shut the door behind her, stepping out into the corridor. With a nod to Malfoy, she purposefully began walking towards the Headmasters' compartment.

"Wait, Granger," Malfoy said, walking up beside her.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" she said, annoyed at him.

"McGonagall didn't really need to see you," he began, taking a deep breath. "I just wanted to talk to you without your friends listening in."

"But-" she began, suddenly silenced by his hand over her mouth.

"Just wait a second before you yell," he looked around. "come in here."

He opened an empty compartment and ushered her inside, locking the door and silencing the entire compartment.

"Malfoy, what's the big idea?" she said sternly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."

Hermione blinked in surprise. "What?"

"I'm sorry. For everything, really," he looked down at his feet. "I know I've been terrible to you, and to your friends, and I don't want it to be like that anymore. We're going to be working very closely this school year and it won't be a pleasant experience for either of us if we're griping at each other all the time. So, truce?" he held his hand out.

Hermione sighed, "Okay, truce."

She shook his hand. There was a sudden electric shock that passed through her arm, and her eyes shot up to meet Malfoy's. The room suddenly seemed to be void of oxygen, and her lungs struggled to work. He seemed to have the same problem, his chest rising and falling quickly. She had never noticed exactly how muscled he was.

His eyes were heavily lidded and he was eyeing her like she was a piece of meat. The weird thing was, she wanted him to. She was being backed up by an invisible force and pressed flush against the wall of the compartment. Malfoy's body was pressed into hers, every crevice fitting perfectly, like an intricate puzzle. He leaned close, just taking a deep breath, as if he was breathing in her very essence.

Without warning, the train hit a snag and jumped slightly, pushing the pair back to reality. Malfoy stepped away quickly, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. Hermione looked down at her feet, taking deep breaths, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Um," Malfoy started. "I gotta go." He quickly unlocked the door and practically ran out.

Hermione stared after him, "Well, shit."

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><p>AN: well, I never said that it was according to the books...AT ALL. it's OOC, if you don't like it, then why the hell are you reading my story dumbass?

Abby


	4. Sharing Can Be a Burden

I know I haven't updated in a long time and I'm really sorry! I just haven't had the time, but since it's summer, I might be updating more often!

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><p>I forgot whose reviews were when...so I'm just gonna answer them all! :)<p>

**know-it-all**: maybe ;) yes romance, and here it is! i won't stop writing! it may just be forgotten for a while...i hate Lavendar too, which is why she's like this in all my stories :)

**cosmogirl666**: yeah :)

**TempestDashon: **thanks :)

**AccioBeer:** thanks :) i hope you do!

**lil mama123:** thanks! sorry i took so long! :)

**whoo-whoop:** eventually :) its coming up soon, i promise!

**23Nelly:** thanks:)

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><p><em><em>Chapter 4: Sharing Can Be a Burden...

_previously..._

_Without warning, the train hit a snag and jumped slightly, pushing the pair back to reality. Malfoy stepped away quickly, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. Hermione looked down at her feet, taking deep breaths, trying to figure out what was going on._

_"Um," Malfoy started. "I gotta go." He quickly unlocked the door and practically ran out._

_Hermione stared after him, "Well, shit."_

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><p>She breathed in slowly, a deep, shaky breath that made her shiver. She pushed herself off of the wall of the compartment, leaving the room to find her friends.<p>

The Great Hall was full of bubbling students eager to find their friends and talk about the summer. Hermione looked around nervously, praying she saw Dra-Malfoy so she could…tell him off. Yes, that's it. She wanted to tell him off for being such an insufferable prick to her on the train. Harry glanced over at his friend and looked in the direction she was.

"Hey, Mione, you looking for someone?" he asked, concerned.

"What?" she looked back, startled. "No, of course not."

She quickly stared down at the food that had appeared before her on the table. The appearance of the food signaled the Headmaster's speech. The students looked up to the podium to see a very worn-looking Albus Dumbledore. He was dressed in midnight blue robes, with his signature pointed hat.

"Good evening, students. It is to my extreme pleasure that I am speaking to you tonight. We all miss our former Headmaster very much, may he rest in peace. However, we must carry on as usual. The Head Boy and Girl will be announced, the First Years will be sorted, and we will enjoy our Welcome Feast. Congratulations to Hermione Granger of Gryffindor, Head Girl."

The Gryffindor table cheered and clapped as Hermione stood up, not at all surprised. She beamed at her friends and patted the Head Girl badge that had been fastened on her prim school robes.

"And to Draco Malfoy of Slytherin, Head Boy."

The Slytherin table erupted with yells and cheers for their fellow housemate. Malfoy stood up, smirking at the Headmistress and glancing over to see Hermione's reaction. Hermione had gone ghost-white, slowly sinking down in her seat. She stared straight ahead, determined not to look at the blonde. The Gryffindor House table lightly clapped, not enthusiastic, but polite toward their new Head Boy.

"All right, settle down," McGonagall smiled. "Now on to the Sorting…"

The Feast had been a blur for Hermione. She was hoping that she never had to see the prick again, let alone share living quarters! Well, at least they had separate bedrooms. She stood in front of the large painting covering the entrance to her new living space. The knight and maiden in the portrait looked distracted, but happy, as if they weren't sure why they were together, but they were glad that they were. Hermione firmly said the password and stepped through the portal.

The Common Room was lovely, painted a deep burgundy with mahogany furniture. There was a roaring fire in the huge fireplace, and a comfortable-looking leather sofa with small pillows. There was a kitchenette in the back half of the room, with chrome appliances and spotless granite countertops. Two staircases spiraled to two doors, one with a golden plaque and the other with a silver.

Hermione jumped up the staircase to the golden-plaque door and opened the room, gasping as she saw the contents. A huge four poster bed with maroon and gold hangings dominated the center of the room, with bookshelves lined on either side. A mahogany desk stood under a huge bay window that overlooked the Black Lake. A matching armoire was across from the desk, as well as a huge closet that was filled with exquisite dress robes, Muggle dresses, and shoes in Hermione's size.

Another door opened into a beautiful white bathroom, furnished with a huge Jacuzzi-style bathtub that was almost as large as the bath in the Prefects' room, a glass shower in the corner, and a two-person sink with a large mirror that took up the majority of one wall. Even the toilet and floor were white marble, and polished to a shine.

Hermione sighed and leaned against the doorjamb, taking in the beauty, until she notice another door on the opposite wall. She walked over, curious, and opened it to see another bedroom. It was almost identical to hers, save for the décor. Maroon and gold were replaced with a deep green and silver, and the furniture was a special silver wood as well. Hermione's mouth thinned into a line as she realized that she would be sharing a bathroom with Malfoy.

Hearing the Common Room door shut, she closed Malfoy's door and ran into her room, slipping into her closet to find something nice to wear to first day of classes. As a seventh year, she wasn't required to wear the mandated school robes, but she still had to wear the pleated skirt and white button-down blouse.

She pulled out the skirt and blouse and threw them on her bed, shuffling through the massive closet and looking for a set of underwear. Smirking, she pulled out a bright red lace set and threw them on her bed, as well as a matching pair of red heels. She was determined that her last year would be a fun one, and that was very much dependent on her image. She didn't want to be portrayed as the "good girl" anymore.

She hung her outfit on the door of her armoire and changed into some simple pajamas: a black tank top and a pair of green flannel sleep shorts. She walked into the bathroom, brushing her teeth and searching for her hairbrush, when something looked odd in the mirror. She glanced over, quickly taking a double take as she did. Her hair had spontaneously darkened. Her mouth flew open, sending foamed toothpaste flying. She reached up a touched a tendril of her hair. It was still curly, but had become so dark it was nearly black. She tilted her head to the side and decided that she wouldn't worry too much. Maybe she was just one of those people whose hair darkened as they got older and she just hadn't noticed.

She rinsed her mouth and skipped back into her room, sliding under the duvet of her soft new bed. She turned out the light, falling fast asleep, not realizing what was truly happening to her.

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><p>AN: Duh duh duhhhhh! Haha :) Please review!


	5. What Is Happening To Me?

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**DobbyTheElf7 - **sorry i took so long! it's been a busy time for me

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I don't own Harry Potter and blahblahblahblah a bunch of other annoying crap blah

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><p>Hermione woke up leisurely. She had first period free, so really she could have slept another hour in if she had wanted to. But then she would have missed her morning workout and breakfast, and Merlin knows she couldn't do that. She quickly dressed in a comfortable pair of grey yoga pants and a dark green tank top over a black sports bra, pulling on her running shoes and throwing her hair up in a ponytail. She grabbed her muggle iPhone 4S and headphones and, as quietly as she could so she wouldn't wake Malfoy, slipped out of the dorm.<p>

The grounds were really quite pretty in the mornings. The sun shone off the lake, and the birds would sing. It was lovely. Hermione jogged lightly to sound of her favorite muggle band, McFly. She had gone to see them in concert over the summer holiday and had just fallen in love.

"Cos obviously she's out of my league," Hermione sang to herself, speeding up the pace of her jogging. "I'm wastin' my time cos she'll never be mine-"

"Hermione!" a voice called behind her.

Hermione turned, a smile gracing her face as she saw who it was. "Yeri! What a pleasant surprise!"

"Hello, Hermione," the handsome boy drawled, his English slightly stilted. "I did not know you enjoyed running. Had I known, I would have invited you to run with me."

"Oh, I'd love to, Yeri," Hermione smiled, motioning for them to continue with their jog.

They ran together, comfortable in their silence. Hermione couldn't help but feel comfortable around him. The boy was just so...calming. And she couldn't help but think that she knew him from somewhere. She felt this strange pull to him.

They ran around the Great Lake twice before the bells rang for breakfast.

"I'll race you," Hermione grinned.

"Of course, Hermione," Yeri smirked. "But I will not make it easy for you just because you are a woman."

"I wouldn't expect you to," she laughed.

They had tied, actually. Yeri had playfully punched her arm, informing her that he will not let her stay so close the next time. Hermione rolled her eyes, agreeing to go jogging again the next morning before moving to sit with her friends.

"Hey, guys," she greeted, sitting down by Ginny.

"Hey-" Harry stopped mid-sentence, a fork halfway to his mouth.

"What?" Hermione asked him.

"Hey, Hermione, I-" Ginny stopped as well, staring at her with wide blue eyes.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, growing slightly worried. "Is there something on my face?"

"Uh, Hermione?" Ginny began, swallowing hard. "Have you looked in a mirror yet today?"

"No, why?"

"You may want to."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, puzzled at her friends' strange behavior.

"Look," Harry said quietly, transfiguring a small apple into a hand mirror.

Hermione's scream was heard from the Quidditch pitch.

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><p>"What is happening to me?" Hermione sobbed, sitting in an armchair in Dumbledore's office.<p>

"Well, dear," the older wizard began. "To begin with, it's nothing to be overly concerned about. It's only growing up."

"What do you mean it's only growing up?" Hermione shouted, throwing the mirror to the ground. "My entire appearance is changed. My hair is black, my skin is dark, and my eyes are red. Fucking red!"

"Please calm down, Miss Granger, all will be explained in time." the old man said calmly.

"No, all will be explained now," she growled, sitting down hard in the chair.

"Well, Hermione-" he was cut off by a knock on the door. "Come in!"

Yeri poked his head in. "You called for me, Headmaster."

"Yes, young Master Ardovini, please have a seat."

"Have you told her yet?" the boy asked.

"I was only just about to do so," Dumbledore smiled. "Miss Granger, you were adopted."

Hermione froze. "I beg your pardon?"

"You are adopted. You were born to the Ardovini family. Adalfieri here is your twin brother."

"What?" Hermione whispered, gripping the seat for support.

"When we were born, our parents were followers of Voldemort," Yeri began, choosing his words carefully. "They had already announced the birth of a child, but you were a surprise. So, to protect you from having to live a life like them, Father sent you away to be taken care of by Muggles. He had his memory Obliviated, as well as the doctors'. Mother had been unconscious the whole time, so she had no idea."

Hermione put her face in her hands. This wasn't happening.

"I only found out because of the family records in our Gringotts' vault," Yeri continued. "I was picking up an old heirloom to give to a cousin as a wedding gift, and I saw the family tree engraved on the back wall of the vault. I had never seen it before, so naturally I was curious. And imagine my surprise when it says I have a sister! Giovanna Andreana Ardovini. You were named after our father's mother Giovanna and our mother Andreana."

"Do my parents know?" she asked quietly.

"They do now," Dumbledore informed her. "I went to them yesterday and lifted the memory charm."

"Memory charm?"

"They had to believe that you were really their child to keep you as safe as possible. The family tree only showed up after Voldemort was destroyed, enchanted to reveal the truth once all harm was out of the way. I'm sorry, Hermione. It was for your own safety."

Hermione took a deep breath. "I understand. But why do I look so different?"

"The Glamour Charm. I put it on you myself. This is what you were meant to look like, had you had a conventional childhood."

"And my eyes?"

Yeri shifted in his seat, obviously uncomfortable.

"What is it?" Hermione pressed.

"I do not think you are going to like this answer, _sorella_," he said quietly.

"I would like to hear it," she replied, turning her gaze to Dumbledore.

"Well, Hermione," he smiled, happy to finally give her the news. "You are a Veela."

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><p>Review! :)<p>

_sorella _means "sister" in Italian


	6. A Veela, huh?

_Author Replies_

**dutchpotterfan - **thank you!

**23Nelly - **haha that's for sure :)

**AngelofDeath001 - **I know, and I'm working on it. As for the headmaster/headmistress thing, that was an honest mistake, which shall be rectified immediately. The memory charm thing will be explained soon, but not in this chapter.

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><p><em>previously...<em>

_"What is it?" Hermione pressed._

_"I do not think you are going to like this answer, _sorella_," he said quietly._

_"I would like to hear it," she replied, turning her gaze to Dumbledore._

_"Well, Hermione," he smiled, happy to finally give her the news. "You are a Veela." _

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><p>"I'm a what?" Hermione questioned, nearly hyperventilating.<p>

"A Veela," Dumbledore supplied happily.

"What does that mean for me?" she asked quietly. She knew what a Veela was. She had researched them extensively after the Quidditch World Cup.

"It means, my dear, that there will be some changes."

"What kind of changes?"

"Well, firstly, you will have a mate."

"A mate?"

"Yes. Soon, well actually, anytime now, you will begin hunting for him. Your senses will heighten, your appetite will increase, your, uh, libido will increase. Your strength and stamina will double, possibly even triple, in magnitude, and you will feel much more possessive over things. You may have a short temper and be prone to violent outbursts. Don't worry, though, that is why we have Yeri with us."

Hermione shifted her gaze to her brother. "See, Hermione, or Giovanna, whichever you would like to be called, male Veela go through the changed before female Veela do, so I've been through most of it already. That is part of the reason I am here. My mate is here, although we are keeping it quiet for the time being. As Father explained to me, you will feel a pull towards your mate. You will not be able to distinguish who it is immediately, but you will know who it is when you meet him. If any other males try to touch you, it may cause you or him, or both, slight pain. With me, it was like a shocking sensation. Any woman who touched me, other than Mother, of course, would shock me. But you will be able to smell him. It's different for every Veela, but in all of us it is a very primal instinct. Do not be ashamed of how you , uh, symptoms will increase dramatically over the next few days, if your eyes are any indicator."

"Will they ever change back?"

"In time. Mine have. But your overall appearance will not. In fact, you will likely get a little taller and you may gain a little in the, er, curves department. Mother is quite heavily endowed, as are all the other females in our family, so you shall be too."

"Mother? Wait! Do our parents know about me?"

"Yes. I explained everything to them. And they are most anxious to meet you, however, it would not be wise to introduce you when you're about to go into full Veela for the next week or so."

"You're probably right. I would hate to meet our father for the first time whilst in heat. Talk about awkward."

"And Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"There are rituals to complete, as well. The mating ritual, and of course, the bonding ceremony, which comes before the mating ritual. There are also a few others, but you may want to read about them yourself. I brought some literature for you," he gestured to a book bag with four or five titles poking out.

"Have I ever told you that you're the best brother ever? Because you are."

"I know," he smiled. "But I suggest you read up quickly. The effects will begin sooner than you think they will."

"What about classes, Headmaster?" she asked, turning to face Dumbledore.

"You have been excused until you return to normal, Miss Ardovini," he smiled at her.

"Miss Ardovini," Hermione repeated quietly to herself. She kind of like the sound of that.

"Headmaster, if it's all right, could you wait to announce this until after I've told my friends? I don't think it will go over very well coming from you instead of me."

"Of course."

"Thank you, Headmaster. And thank you, Yeri," she smiled at her brother. "I'll see you both soon."

* * *

><p>Harry and Ginny stared at her with wide-open mouths.<p>

"I know," Hermione agreed.

"So you're a-" Ginny stuttered.

"Yep."

"And you-" Harry spouted.

"Uh-huh."

"Wow," Harry said softly. "'Mione, do you mind if we test it? The male touching you thing?"

"Sure, Harry," she held out her hand.

He made as if to grab her hand in a handshake, but pulled his hand back quickly, cradling it.

"Are you alright?" Hermione worried.

"Just fine," he gritted his teeth. "Damn, I felt that in my bones."

"I'm sorry," Hermione apologized. "But hey, at least we know you're not my mate."

"Yeah, at least."

"I wonder who it could be," Ginny pondered. "I mean, you'd have to be well-suited."

"I hope so," Hermione breathed. "I could get stuck with a total git for the rest of my life."

"Or a total pansy," Harry added, still rubbing his hand.

"That, too," Hermione agreed.

"Who do you think it might be?" Ginny asked her.

"I honestly have no idea, Gin," Hermione shrugged. "It could be anyone. This book said that age isn't a factor in mates, considering that males are able to reproduce at all ages, and that's the basis for the pairing to begin with. It's a protective process to ensure the Veela bloodline continues with the healthiest, brightest contenders."

"What if you don't pair up?" Harry questioned. "Will something happen?"

"Only one case has ever been heard of where the Veela in question didn't mate," Hermione recited, peeking into the book. "His mate rejected him. The poor creature died of loneliness only three days later."

"Well, that bites," he said, putting an arm around Ginny.

"Tell me about it," Hermione huffed. "Veelas are partner creatures by nature. We must have some sort of companionship. If our mate dies, we will follow them."

"It's kind of romantic, though, if you think about it," Ginny said, snuggling closer to her boyfriend. "You don't want to live without your love. It's a nice thought."

"It's not a want-to thing, Gin. It's chemical. I have to have a mate in order to survive, and only one for the rest of my life."

"That reminds me, what about your life span? Can you still get sick and stuff?" Harry asked, pulling an apple out of his pocket and taking a bite.

"The literature says Veela are basically immortal, as they can't be killed by spells or potions and they don't die naturally, but they can fall to the sword. So I suppose that means I can only be killed through fighting or something similar, it didn't say anything about illness."

"That's kind of really cool."

"And really depressing. I mean, who would seriously want to live forever?"

"I would," a new voice popped in the conversation. "If it meant I could spend the rest of forever with the person I love."

Hermione sneered, "Fuck off, Lavender. This isn't your conversation."

Lavender bristled. "Fine. I'll go. I'll not be where I'm not wanted."

"Well, trust me, you're not wanted here," Ginny quipped.

"I'm going to tell Won-won you said that," Lavender sniffed. "Such a great sister you are!"

"Oh, please do," Ginny grinned maliciously. "I can't wait to tell him how much of a sniveling bint you are."

Lavender gasped, obviously affronted, and made for the door.

"Bitch!" Ginny called after her.

Hermione was doubled over, she was laughing so hard.

"Oh, Merlin, Gin," she said in between laughs. "Why do you hate her so much?"

"Honestly, i don't even know," Ginny smirked, grabbing the half-eaten apple out of Harry's hand and taking a bite herself. "She just rubs me the wrong way."

"Please, everyone hates her," Harry added. "The only reason Ron and her are still together is because she will literally do anything in bed. And I mean anything. Ron tells me all about it, to my disgust, but hey. What can you do?"

"Oh, that's gross. Please stop. No more," Hermione groaned.

Harry just laughed. Hermione joined him, laughing heartily.

The door swung open. Hermione caught a whiff of the most delightful smell. It was musky and rich and oh-so-delectable. She turned, hoping to get a chance to see what the delicious smell was, only to find an empty space.

"Damn," she muttered. "It's starting."

* * *

><p>So, uh...review? Haha :) As always, the outfits and things for this story (and my others) are on my profile.<p> 


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